December’s here, and that means staying inside where it’s nice and warm! Here are a few of our favorite suggestions on what to do this year to keep you and your family nice, cozy, and entertained.
Enjoy a Performance on Zoom!
The library has some exciting performers scheduled during the week of December 28, so if you’re home from school with nothing to do, register for a program, grab some snacks and hot cocoa, and watch the magic happen! This year you can enjoy a Virtual Cartooning Class on 12/28 at 2 pm, learn the Principles of Hip Hop on 12/29 at 2 pm, sing and dance with Music Play Patrol on 12/30 at 10 am and 2 pm, and make magic happen with Magician Ran’D Shine on 12/31 at 2 pm! Gather your family together to learn, move, groove, and be wowed!
Make a Blanket Fort or Reading Nook
On a scale of one to cozy-tastic, this one is tops! Take the blankets and pillows off of your beds and take over a room in your house. Use chairs, tables, or twine to set up rooms, hallways, and corridors, throw a beanbag chair in there, bring the dog, the cat, or the hamster, and get comfy. Extra points for string lights or decorations! Then, bring your crafts, books, or digital device inside and make a day of it.
Earn Badges on Beanstack
If you’re not already hip to the Bean, get ready for fun! Beanstack is the library’s fun way to log your reading and earn badges by completing themed challenges. Each month we unveil new, seasonal badges that will engage you and get you reading outside your comfort zone. In December, you’ll be challenged to read a book by a Canadian author, read a picture book about soup, and more! Compete with your family members, or work together.
Make Homemade Playdough
If you’re slimed out on slime, turn to a classic! Tinker Lab has a great recipe for homemade playdough, and in my experience playdough is always a (slightly messy) surefire hit. Challenge your kids to make the tallest stable structure that they can, make a menagerie of zoo animals, or make a robot that goes ‘boop!’
Read a Book
Well, we ARE the library! Reading a book on a cozy winter day inside is one of the best ways to spend time together. Whether you’re sharing your childhood favorites, or downloading Cloud Library books on your iPad, reading stories out loud together is one of the most important things that you can do as a family. Gather a stack of books, snuggle up under a blanket, and prepare to get cozy.
Another way to spend time enjoying reading together this winter? Start a family book club! Choose a book that the whole family can enjoy (or let your kids pick something they love and that you would never pick up on your own) and either read it out loud together or read it separately and take breaks every few chapters to discuss your feelings about what is happening.
No matter what you’re doing this winter, stay positive. Spring is just around the corner and 2021 is a new year with promises of lots of new, bookish fun!
